WDNY Local News, Thursday, September 21, 2017

Livingston County Area Chamber of Commerce has honored four businesses for excellence. Among the winners announced at the chamber’s business expo– Genesee Valley Motors of Avon as the countys Large Business of the Year. Deer Run Winery in Geneseo as the Small Business of the Year award. Also honored -Tonys Pizzeria of Dansville as The Downtown Business of the Year and Dublin Corners Farm Brewery in Linwood. As the Most Promising New Enterprise of the Year. The chamber says the businesses deserve credit for helping to make the country a great place to liveand work. Almost 5,000 people cast votes through the chamber’s facebook page to select the winners from among 38 nominees.

Drug charges have been filed against three people from Erie County after a traffic stop in the town of Avon. Deputies say the trio has pills, crack cocaine and paraphernalia when they were stopped on Routes 5 and 20.The driver was also cited for unlicensed operation, while a passenger was also cited for letting him driver her car even though she knew he had no license. All of the suspects were taken to LivingstonCountry jail and held on bond

This is Sheriff’s week across the stateand Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty says its a good time to remember the men and women who wear the badge. He says community support is vital to the department’s successand that his department is honored to provide law enforcement services to tho people of the County. Livingston County has had a sheriff since 1821Dougherty is the 50th person to hold the job.

If you are expecting a STAR rebate from the state, you can now check to see if the check is in the mail. The state department of taxation and finance has set up a new website that lets you know if the money has been sent. Some taxpayers faced long waits last year and the state says it hopes the new system will at least let people know what to expect this time around. The link is on our web page: [HTTP://www.tax.ny.gov/]

Senator Chuck Schumer says it’s important to keep money for a federally funded agency that help; keep farmers safe. He says it’s wrong to cut the budget for the Center of Occupational Safety and Health for Agriculture because its already small staff does good work to protect hundreds of thousands of farmers. The senator says farming is already one of the most dangerous occupation and that Congress should keep money for safety programsinstead of imposing an almost 40 percent cut for the Center. The group provides safety roll bars for tractors and sponsors other safety related initiatives.

Governor Cuomo is calling for farmers and institutions interested in participating in the expanded industrial hemp research pilot program in Upstate New York. The program was expanded earlier this year to allow hemp to be grown on about two-thousand acres in the state compared to just 30 last year. Yesterday Cuomo called for New York producers, businesses and universities to participate and help the state lead the way in this emerging industry. Grants of up to a half a million-dollars are available for qualifying applicants interested in participating.